#but damn if it is a page turner

[tenrose]

I think Hugh Howey has an obsession with stairs

[algernon97]

Ayn Rand Sucks Eggs, and I’m Reading her Novels Out of Boredom

 Some time ago I picked up copies of Ayn Rand’s novels (Anthem, The Fountainhead) for free in undergrad. They’re old 1964 paperbacks, and I liked the covers. I also bought a copy of Atlas Shrugged (from a charity organization just because that spits in the face of Rand’s philosophy) along with a copy of Marx’s Capital so I could have a funny bookshelf. Anyway, I have a lot of time on my hands so I decided to read through these three books. I’ve read Anthem, which is actually a pretty good story save for the last two chapters where Rand spews out her screeds, but today I’m writing about The Fountainhead. 

For you see, I read the first chapter of The Fountainhead last night and HOO BOY does this thing seem like it’ll be a funny time.

Anyway, sometimes I’ll write down thoughts on this book here. Here’s my thoughts on chapter one:

-- Howard Roark is autistic. 

-- No, seriously. Howard Roark is one of the only characters I’ve read that instantly feels like he’s not only on the spectrum, but is just t u r b o autistic. Like, do you remember Maud Pie from Friendship is Magic? That’s how Roark acts almost all the time. The guy hyperfixates on one specific thing constantly and at one point in this chapter he almost misses a meeting with the dean of his college because he was too busy hyperfocusing on a drawing he was trying to fix. He’s so hyperfocused that the chapter ends with him not caring that he’s been expelled and just imaging a glorious building made out of granite standing tall against a sunset, because this man loves him his buildings. His voice is described as rather monotone, he doesn’t really understand or care to understand social cues, has zero interest in learning anything that doesn’t relate to his special interest, etc. -- this guy is on the spectrum.

-- I just think that’s neat, speaking as someone on the spectrum myself.

-- Howard Roark also apparently just oozes menace to everyone who isn’t the narrator so far. What makes this funny is that the narration doesn’t give a single reason and, if anything, actually says everyone feels scared of Roark for no reason at all. Utterly strange choice.

-- This is pretty funny because Rorak just draws modernist buildings and does literally nothing else outside of swimming in a lake sometimes, at least in this chapter. Roark is just vibing and this scares everyone around him for no discernable reason, and the book ACKNOWLEDGES that there’s no reason for people to be scared of him.

-- Howard Roark is the living embodiment of that “WOMEN FEAR ME FISH FEAR ME MEN TURN THEIR EYES AWAY FROM ME��� hat.

So, this means that so far this is a book about an autistic little guy vibing and hyperfocusing so hard it gets him kicked out of school. It’s a strange opening but I want to see what this little guy gets up to next, because this chapter feels like a gloriously unintentional cringe comedy.

This is the cover for my paperback edition, by the way. I had to look for it for a while since the actual copy doesn’t have a copyright or printing date in it(!). 

[stylespresleyhearted]

POV: YOU’RE DATING CALLUM TURNER

pt. ✌🏻

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cturnerupdates Cal & Y/N spotted at a cafe in Paris today - March 23, 2024

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fan12 I SHIP IT BUT IM JEALOUS

y/nfan two lovers in the city of love 🥹 fitting ♥️

user23 I’m calling it now these two are gonna be it for each other. They’re end game.

yourinstagram that’s the goal🥹

liked by yourinstagram, austinbutler and 15,713 others

keoghan92 Context: Cal taking his bird away because we were apparently “pissed ” 🙄

Photo credit - me 🫡

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anthonyboyle baftas are always a fun night eh?

yourinstagram he saved your ass, i had you!!!

keoghan92 love I’ll out drink you any day

yourinstagram tbh we weren’t even that drunk

rafflaw you were crying cus you “lost” your boyfriend but he was holding your hand the entire time and barry thought the stalls were narnia entry

keoghan92 that’s a solid night mate

fan23 damn y/n looks good

yourinstagram tits out & every thang 🤗

keoghan92 Oi her heads big enough

liked by enews, yourfriendsig, and 5,391 others

yourinstagram trying to enjoy my lunch but this weird (cute) guy won’t stop bothering me (i love him)

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user12 i need to know what its like to be her

fan23 callum is so down bad for her #relatable

fan21 what did she cover up 👀

yourinstagram lol just cal being cheeky

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yourinstagram hi handsome ♥️

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fan23 THE WAY HE’S LOOKING AT HER 🙌🏼😭😭

user68 i wonder if he’s aware how many photos she takes of him and she posts them all its weird

yourfriendsig lmao trust he’s aware & he’s obsessed when it comes to y/n

fan21 ppl see shit on the internet & think they know everything ugh 😑

yourinstagram guys let’s all be nice and enjoy looking at my beautiful boyfriend! 😍

liked by yourinstagram and 38175 others

jimmyfallonshow Tune in tonight 10/11 CT to witness Callum Turner swoon over ‘amazing’ girlfriend 💕 ….

When asked if he’s aware how iconic she’s become on social media he said he’s well aware and he isn’t at all surprised before divulging to Jimmy “she’s the one.” 💍 👀

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user23 After watching the interview I’m 100% convinced he’s the golden retriever and she’s the black cat. Y/N loves him but gosh … the way he was talking about her and looking at her?

fan13 IMA CRY ITS NOT LETTING ME WATCH SOMEONE SHARE

y/nupdates It starts with Callum sharing a joke and Jimmy didn’t laugh but Y/N did from the crowd 😂 Callum recognized her laugh and said “thanks baby” and then that’s when Jimmy asked about her IG fame. Callum said “she’s the one man - we aren’t worried about that.” When Jimmy asked how they deal with the attention.

user12 starting to wonder if they’re secretly married/engaged

fan31 Nah and I think it’s beautiful even though they’re aware they are it for each other she’s willing to wait and support him as he enters a new kind of fame

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yourinstagram Daddy? Sorry. Daddy? Sorry. Daddy - 🥵

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callumfan Y/N PLSSSSSS I CANNNOOOTTT

user41 girllll yes !!!!

fan53 can i please be you???

user91 ur man is so daddy he’s fire

user33 Y/N and Callum daddy kink confirmed

keoghan92 That’s what we called him on set

yourinstagram back off my man barry

rafflaw … we really did though

liked by austinbutler, yourinstagram, and 58194 others

drewbarrymoreshow Hilarious, gorgeous, and kind — yes these guys, but I was referring to the star of tonight’s show Callum Turner’s girlfriend. Her Instagram page is one of my favorite’s, tune in to watch me fan girl over three stars tonight.

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yourinstagram unreal !! i adore you !!❤️❤️

drewbarrymoreshow Text me for our date night 🤗

fan23 everyone loves y/n it’s beautiful to see someone being praised when they’re authentically themselves

user12 shoulda interviewed her too

drewbarrymooreshow 🌚

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yourinstagram Y/N by me (Cal) 💍♥️😍

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fan31 HIS EMOJI USE?!?? rip me

user12 im gonna cry she’s so smol he’s so tol

fan23 Cal make your own page!!! We know it’ll just be Y/N and we’re okay with it!!! It’s what we want tbh !!!

keoghan92 “why the fuck are you taking a photo” is what she was mid saying

user25 omg he probably crushes her she’s tiny it’s great

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yourinstagram 🥹

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fan23 ugh the height difference kills me

user12 they’re so in love it makes me happy

fan33 I believe in love because of them tbh

fan67 idk how he hasn’t popped the question yet

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cturnerupdates Callum spotted with Y/N and his mother in London back in Feb for his birthday. The group had a picnic at the park and Callum’s mother even braided her hair — Feb 19, 2024

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user13 ohhhh he’s gonna be a girl dad fs

fan54 she’s got the momma’s stamp approval it’s gonna happen

user23 what i wouldn’t give to be his gf and have a picnic w him at the park and have his mom braid my hair

fan56 Is anyone gonna talk about how he’s looking at her? 🥹🥹😍 Definition of heart eyes

————

I’m so down bad for this man so I really couldn’t resist making another one. He’s handsome and charming and manly and ughhhhh kill me!

P.S slight FC use of Olivia Dejonge. Not only is she gorgeous but she’s so smol and I find it so beautiful, especially with how large he is. Needed that picture for a specific use to help identify the size difference between the two but feel free to keep imagining whoever. He’s dated Vanessa Kirby and Dua Lipa so the hair color constantly changes in pics 😭

Don’t have a tag list but thanks to everyone for all the love, hope ya’ll enjoy this one as well 💕

[sarasa-cat]

I keep dipping into A Parable of the Sower to binge read for a bit but it is so damn brilliant I need to stop and think.

A page turner

But requiring moments of just letting it sink in and picture it all in my head. Feel it. The subtext. The reasoning. The obvious metaphors so beautifully woven into a story that moves and moves and moves.

Literally the best American novel I have ever read.

And it is a novel that is entirely about America.

It is sheer genius.

[sebastianswallows]

The English Client — Eleven

— PAIRING: Tom Riddle x F!Reader

— SYNOPSIS: The year is 1952. Tom is working for Borgin and Burkes. He is sent to Rome to acquire three ancient books of magic by any means necessary. One in particular proves challenging to reach, and the only path forward is through a pretty, young bookseller. A foreigner like him, she lives alone, obsessed with her work... until Tom comes into her life.

— WARNINGS: none

— WORDCOUNT: 3k

— TAGLIST: @esolean @localravenclaw @slytherins-heir

I

Tom was displeased — not an uncommon occurrence. He was displeased with how familiar he’d come to be with the hotel and its surroundings, the lobby, the little restaurant, and how he knew by heart its every corner and the menu and the waiters. He was not a restless sort of person — on the contrary, he could lie in wait for a long time if needed — but it did disturb him how settled he now was in that muggle hotel.

He’d been picking at his breakfast since 6:30 AM. In fact, he’d been the first guest to arrive. By now it was nearly eight, and he had to be at Casa Ur by nine. His job…

He wasn’t suffering from a lack of appetite, not that he’d ever really had one. Living in an orphanage in London during the war had accustomed him to doing without many comforts. Rather, he dreaded going in. He may have been the last person anyone would suspect of laziness, but privately, he hated it. Hated having to report to someone, especially somebody inferior. Hated having his time wasted on the whims of others. Hated having to find his way through the sea of papers that were Oso’s home, always having to ask, or spend hours finding out where something was placed. Oh, to have a Time Turner and make this horrid morning last forever…

With a sigh, he downed his tea in one gulp, stuffed another fluff of omelette in his mouth, and left.

It wasn’t like he was going to meet Abraxas Malfoy, his old schoolmate, on his way to work. Indeed, they might never meet at all, if that old bastard Oso won’t let him work during the auction. But damn it, why did Abraxas have to be after the same book? It wasn’t like he was the most erudite of his old friends. Personally, Tom thought him a stereotypical dumb blond, getting by in his grades due to his good looks and family wealth. He could only hope Abraxas wouldn’t do anything stupid and blow his cover.

“Look on the bright side,” Tom said to himself. “Brax swore himself in service to Lord Voldemort. He wouldn’t refuse me anything.”

II

The end of the month brought summer’s end, and with it came Tom’s first payment — cut in half, as he’d only been there since the middle of the month. He’d finished analysing the three books and sent his notes off to the Baron, together with his confirmation that he would keep working there. He didn’t need the money, as he’d gotten into the habit of enchanting pebbles to be coins and newspaper pages into banknotes, but a salary was the perfect excuse to approach his target, his key of choice in that muggle institution, with an invitation.

“A date?!” she said, looking happier than he’d expected her to be.

“A date, an evening out among colleagues,” Tom smiled, leaning on her desk. “Whatever you like.”

“Colleagues, is it? So will Ambrogio be invited too?” she chuckled, eyes twinkling with a tease.

“Ugh, don’t.”

She laughed. “Is it that bad?”

“Let’s trade places one day. You’ll see.”

“No, I’d rather go on a date,” she pouted, coming around to lean beside him. “Where?”

“I had several ideas in mind… All of them a little selfish,” he said, slinking closer to her until their shoulders touched. “To start, maybe, the museum?”

“Really?”

It was not, of course, a selfish choice for Tom. He couldn’t care less about muggle history, ancient or otherwise, but he knew her to be the kind of sentimental soul that cared for it.

“And in the evening, I have tickets to a concert. We can have dinner in between. Your choice of restaurant, of course.”

She could barely contain her smile. Tom thought for a moment that she might even hug him, and his body braced for it, but it never came. The loosening of his muscles felt like a disappointment.

“Oh Tom, but you’ve barely earned anything yet, how can you afford —”

“Don’t worry about me.”

She sighed, clearly worrying regardless. It was a little cute, if he was honest. Through her open eyes, he read a thousand feelings, none of them seemingly connected with each other: fear and joy, anticipation, dread, and gladness.

“I want to spend more time with you,” he said in a low voice as he placed his hand over her own on the edge of the desk. “Being stuck down there all day while you’re up here and we can hardly see each other…”

“I know… I miss you too,” she confessed, blushing slightly.

“You do?”

He knew she did, of course. From early on in their acquaintance he’d attempted to seduce her, to get her on his side. He wore his tightest shirts just for her, even when the weather killed him. He walked her home a few times more since being employed there, and sat and waited for her to lure alleycats to pet them, or rushed with her to buy a baguette so she could feed the pigeons, or any number of useless things she thought to do in the evening.

“But… Tom, does this…” she started, chewing on her lip.

“Yes?” he asked, tension filling him as well.

“Does this make us boyfriend and girlfriend?”

His mind blanched, not helped by her looking up at him with those wide eyes, her lips so close, so kissable…

“W-would you like to be?”

He went back down to the basement smiling, his lips still warm after a little kiss. He touched his lips once finally alone, the taste of her already fleeting.

“Pull yourself together, Tom,” he said. “This is not the time to simper for a muggle.”

The rest of the day was compromised, naturally, as all either of them could think about was the coming Saturday when their date was arranged. There was a clandestine air about it too, as nobody else knew that they were going. It was exactly the sort of attitude he wanted to inspire in her about the two of them.

III

The museum Tom took her to was the Palazzo Altemps. In centuries past an aristocratic mansion, now home to a collection of art that spanned from antiquity to the Renaissance. It looked frail and solid all at once, full of colour and yet gloriously dead, the statues staring at them like beautiful corpses, frescoes billowing across the walls.

Tom thought it did well to cover the historical periods that she, too, was interested in, if her taste in books was any measure. He was right, she positively gushed when they came across the bust of someone whose book they had in their collection. But she was mostly fond of those displays that splattered across the eras, ancient Roman statues standing tall and cold against a faded fresco a thousand years younger, looking soft and fragmentary in shades of gold and blue that once used to be crimson and black before the ages changed them.

“Can you imagine living here?” she whispered, her head tilting back in ecstasy. A long, floral corridor stretched out before them, with a garden to the right seeping with a milky light. “So wide and open and beautiful…”

“I couldn’t,” he grumbled. “Think of how much maintenance such a place would require…”

His new girlfriend laughed at him, the chime of it resounding through the halls.

For Tom’s part, he was mostly struck by the conspicuous differences between things. Mainly those within himself. It was a strange experience to look upon the art of muggles as a wizard, and the art of Italy as an Englishman. He was, in this way, twice a foreigner, and yet…He felt like everything there welcomed him.

In spite of his criticism of the place, he knew he could be at home among those gentle smiles, the unseeing eyes, the outstretched arms, and even saw parts of himself in the leisure of a lean white leg or a smooth abdomen, or a gentle curl of hair. The thread-thin reeds in the distant landscape of a fresco, or the vaporous rays of a sunset over the horizon of a city.

Beside him, he heard his companion stop, standing in smiling contemplation of the same thing. Her hand brushed against his, and suddenly it felt right to take it. He did, and in a fluid motion, as if nothing else could possibly follow such a gentle act, her head leaned to rest against his shoulder. He felt her warmth in the crook of his neck, the softness of her hair against his cheek, and Tom couldn’t help but lean a little closer. He rested his cheek on the top of her head.

IV

She took them to a nearby restaurant for lunch. She claimed not to know the area very well, as she hadn’t gone wandering there since her earliest days in Rome, but Tom had come to trust her choices.

“So you’ve seen all there is to see, is that it?” he asked with a lopsided smile. Suddenly, his whole itinerary for the day seemed lacking.

“There is always more to see in Rome,” she said with a dreamy smile, cheek resting in her palm.

She seemed genuinely happy, and that soothed Tom’s ego somewhat.

“How many years have you lived here?”

“Oh my, it’s been at least six by now, I think.”

“And you’ve been working for the Baron the whole time?”

“Only for the last four years. The first two, I drifted from job to job, just at other libraries and shops…”

“Why did you leave?” he asked, taking a sip of wine.

“Some went out of business. It was a more tumultuous period, after the war. Others, I wasn’t really happy at. Some owners were mean, rude, demanding…”

“Unlike the Baron?” Tom asked with a grin.

“He is a bit of all of that,” she admitted. “But the opportunity to work with those books was… impossible to refuse. His collection is unparalleled, at least in Italy.”

Tom smiled and looked down at his plate.

“You agree,” she said — not asked — as she looked at him intently. “You’re still after the Delomelanicon, aren’t you?”

“Is is a fine collection,” Tom shrugged. “But my employer has something truly worthy of envy. The most rare of ancient esoterica. I suppose that’s why he’s so keen on acquiring Torchia. It’s too good to be left with the Baron.”

To his surprise, she laughed, wine trembling in her glass as she held it. It was not a mocking laugh, but something truly amused and girlish.

“Typical,” she trilled, her eyes shining. “The arrogance of old collectors… Well, then I guess you’ll just have to compete with the French gentleman.”

“Who, Malfoy?” Tom smirked. “I don’t think he’s French.”

He wanted to slap himself for saying it, but could not resist bragging that he knew something that she didn’t.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I happen to have gone to school with him.”

And there it was, his flaw, his arrogance: the mad and senseless instinct to impress her. Yes, he too knew important people, he too rubbed elbows with the aristocracy, and had a life before all of this.

But she was far from impressed.

“You couldn’t have,” she scoffed.

“And why not?” asked Tom with a cold squint.

“Why? Because he must be at least fifty years old…”

“… Ah.”

And with that, all of Tom’s plans crumbled. Of course it had to be the elder Septimus Malfoy, not his son… He should have guessed it from the start. Abraxas would never have gone through so much trouble for something educational, and his father never would have trusted him with it.

“So, will you?” she asked, her cheeks full with an impish smile.

“Will I what?”

“Compete with him for the book.”

Tom stuffed his fork in his spaghetti bolognese and frowned. There were various ways to say yes, and various ways to lie. Out of all of them, he chose the riskiest one.

“I will, with your help, if you wish to give it.”

She smirked and looked up from underneath her lashes. “Are you trying to take advantage of our special relationship?”

“Only if you let me,” he winked.

V

The concert was held in a park, where a wooden stage was raised in front of a tall fountain, lights hanging all around with garlands of fake paper flowers. There were seats among the flowerbeds and stands in the back with drinks. Tom bought two glasses of champagne for them, and they sat shoulder to shoulder, their coats up to their ears like barn owls to keep the midnight cold at bay.

It was a jazz concert, a novelty for Tom for whom it meant nothing, but she seemed to enjoy it. The band, a local group all dressed in black, played tunes that ranged from the energetic to the dour, and the air was filled with so much sound that Tom felt it in his chest. It was a completely new experience. He’d never gone out to enjoy music on his own, nor did he enjoy it in private either. Unlike most of his Slytherin classmates, he actually knew how to work a radio, but he’d always found sound in the background to be distracting when he worked.

And as he sat and listened to the band, he found no reason to change his opinion. Music was a waste of time, he thought. After each song, the audience applauded, and with the champagne glass tucked between his legs, he did so too, but privately he felt nothing. Their music was too fast-paced, too rushed, too out of pace with his own feelings.

He used the time to think of Mr. Malfoy. What did he really know about him? He’d been invited to his house for Abraxas’ seventeenth birthday, so they’d met. He remembered sprawling gardens with marble pillars, swans sliding on a lake, and a large, cold house. Tom knew Septimus to be a tall pale figure, distant, resplendent, and utterly dedicated to his family — not that Abraxas ever appreciated it.

The Malfoys were faultlessly hospitable to him, no doubt having heard of his magical skills from their son, and perhaps of his heritage too. But behind their manners and their perfect smiles, Tom detected, without even having to use Legilimency, disgust at his half-blood status, and underneath that, a certain envy.

He could only imagine, then, what reaction Mr. Malfoy would have at seeing him working for muggles in a foreign country. He sighed and bowed his head, his soul swirling with anguish and horror at the mess that was to come. And there was no avoiding it…

At his side, he felt a gentle hand. She nuzzled close to him, turning to look at him, frowning, as if to ask what was wrong. Tom raised her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it, and for a moment all his worries were gone.

VI

They were walking side by side down the street that led to her home. After hours spent together, walking, briefly talking, looking at each other or just feeling one another’s presence, it was difficult for Tom to get back into the habit of hiding himself so well. He couldn’t even muster up the tried and true old charms he used with wealthy witches back in England. He was too much of himself that night, and he wasn’t sorry at being, however faintly, seen.

“What are you thinking about?”

He turned to smile at her. “You, of course,” he said.

“No you weren’t.” She was giggling, but through the midnight dark, Tom thought he saw sadness in her eyes.

He sighed. “Alright, I wasn’t.”

“Is it the books?”

He chuckled. She wasn’t far off, in a way. “Am I that transparent?”

“No,” she grinned, wrapping her arm around his. “Quite impenetrable, actually. It was just a lucky guess.”

“Is that so?”

“I used to think about books too, that’s all. Often even outside of work. It was fun, it’s… an infinite subject to get lost in.”

“Used to? What do you think about nowadays, then?”

That caught her off guard. “Erm, you know, everyday sort of things.”

Tom tightened his grip on her arm and made her look at him. With her gaze wide and open on his, he chanced a quick prod into her mind. He met no resistance, in fact, save for a milky smooth veneer, her thoughts were clear as crystal.

He saw himself. And one head shorter and a little less defined was a figure he recognised as her. Tom found it amusing that she saw him more clearly than she saw herself. They were kissing. His arms were around her, his hands gripping her head to hold her still. There was a swaying to their motions that seemed to change direction. It soon became clear to Tom that they were making love. His body covered hers in the middle of a plush darkness, their bodies like pillars of light, they moved together as smoothly as seafoam.

Her eyes went wide when he spent a moment too long looking at her, and she shifted her gaze away to the sidewalk. Her building was already in view. Did she guess that he had read her mind? It wasn’t possible…

Tom chuckled. He reached up and hooked a finger underneath her chin to tilt her face back up to look at him.

“Do you have something to tell me?” he asked, feeling more smug now than he had any right to be. “Hm? Do you want to show me something?”

She exhaled, and even that sounded shaky. “Maybe,” she said in a small voice. “W-would you like to come inside?” She didn’t even finish saying it before she blushed — more at her own phrasing than anything.

“I would.”

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten, MAG 4 Page Turner

Analysis of MAG 4, Page Turner. Spooky book time! Spoilers ahead.

Jurgen Leitner? Stupid idiot motherfucking Jurgen-

Sorry about that got possessed for a second. Anyway, first Leitner statement! Let's get into it while I try to control my rage.

Facts: Statement of Dominic Swain, regarding a book briefly in his possession in the winter of 2012.

Statement Notes: So much in this episode! First Gerry and Mary citing, first Leitner and Mike Crew mention. Crazy how relevant this episode was and we all had no way of knowing.

Starting simple, I would just like to say that as a theatre tech, Swain is so accurate and so real. "Doing a little bit of everything?" Real. Trying to see friends work but you also work at the same time? Real. Work place romance? Real. Not being able to relax when you see a play because you know all the tech stuff that can go wrong? Really real.

What I really loved about Dominic's statement though is the highlight of the ozone smell. He walks all around London with that book, shows it to Mary and Gerard, shows it to friends, and no one else mentions the smell. Yet, when he shows it to his ex Katherine Mendes, she said it "triggered her vertigo." This happens with a lot of the cursed items in the show: they don't have one general effect, but target the specific sources of fear and anxiety in the owner. Katherine apparently gets vertigo often, so The Vast would naturally trigger than height-based stressor. But Swain has a specific fear of lightning and the ozone smell because of what happened to Mike, so torturing him with that smell is the most effective way to cause fear in him.

There's also some really classic cursed object horror going on here that I love. Swain tries to sell the book the whole episode, but calls it "his book" fleeing Mary. Additionally, he says that he thought about giving it away, but felt that "wouldn't count." Very similar to Do Not Open here and a lot of cursed object horror in that there needs to be some kind of debt or reciprocity established rid one of the object.

I also just love the line "walking felt as natural as falling." It really conjures the idea that he can't control himself, that he's stumbling to Mary's shop uncontrollable just as he would fall through the sky: completely unable to stop.

Entity Alignment: Dominic translates "Ex Altiora" as "From Higher" or "Out of the Heights." That's just such insane Vast energy, the idea that whatever the book does to you will spawn from the open empty sky and you won't be able to stop it, just as you'd never be able to stop falling.

Obviously this episode is generally Vast aligned, but that painting of the Eye really freaked me out. "Grant us the sight that we may not know. Grant us the scent that we may not catch. Grant us the sound that we may not call.” This engraving very much encapsulates the point of the Eye and the Archive, and weirdly foreshadows what Jon goes through later. It is essentially saying, "Let me witness the fear and pain of others so that I don't have to experience it myself." Why would Gerry paint this? Especially given that a giant eye gives Elias direct view into his home. What is the goal?

Character Notes: Jurgen Leitner? Stupid idiot motherfucking Jurgen Leitner god damn fool book collecting dust eating-

Sorry what happened I blacked out.

Seriously though, my biggest takeaway about Leitner in this ep is that he doesn't spell his name with an umlaut like others. Why did Jonny include that detail. What does that do for me.

I do love that the only information Swain could find on him was that he lost a bidding war over a book to "GRbookworm1818" who is so obviously Gertrude it's hilarious.

I think it's so weird that Swain couldn't find anything online about him, though. Leitners are clearly around, so wouldn't there be some kind of chat room or reddit post about one? Builds my theory that the Entities or at least the Web has some influence over internet content in this universe that it doesn't have in The Magnus Protocol universe. In TMAGP, the OIAR sorts through things found in databases and the internet, but in TMA the Archive seems to be the only source of real supernatural info, proving that Elias or someone else was controlling the stream of information in a way that the entities aren't able to (yet) in TMAGP.

Let's turn away from the most hated character on the internet to talk about the most loved: Gerard Keay.

Our first intro to Gerry is death metal music blasting from his bedroom at two am which is just, so on brand.

(Also want to point out that Dominic Swain didn't realize it was 2 am until he heard the music. Missing time is another motif that keeps coming up in this show.)

I also forgot that Gerry painted in this universe, so it's nice to see they kept that connection in Protocol.

The thing that's truly key (no pun intended) about this episode though is the ritual Mary performs, blaming Gerry for her fake murder. I believe this is the episode she binds herself to the Skin Book, but I can't figure out when/how she would attach Gerry. Also, the case against him was thrown out because a "key piece of evidence was deemed inadmissible." Was this Gertrude pulling strings, Mary using magic influence, or some other powerful eldritch bureaucrat pulling for our boy? Who's to say.

Mike Crew is really only mentioned in this episode, but it did get me thinking about the relevance of scars in the show. His Lichtenberg scar influences who he is and what he becomes as an Avatar. Very similar to Daisy naming herself after her scar and pursuing law--which would lead to her becoming an Avatar--because of the event and injury. Also, Jon's "markings" are what allow him to start the Eyepocalypse. Physical manifestations and reminders of trauma shaping who we become really is a theme in this show.

And of course, Jon. He is such a terrible liar yet him believing in the supernatural was still somehow a plot twist. Proves how good a writer Jonny is, honestly. He doesn't believe in the supernatural, but is absolutely terrified of Leitners and is working on an "institute project" to eradicate them? I would love to know how this project worked. Was it just research? Was there a team dedicated to finding and collecting Leitners? He also mentions "the incident in 1994," is that when the library was destroyed? Or is just another terrible Leitner incident.

Crazy ep, one of my favorites. Let me know what you think!

[freyrmichokolatte]

Timmy forgor arc because I'm a fucked up little shit and I want my fave to suffer because that's how I am smh

Timmy canonically puts notes on everything that's important to him because he might throw everything related to Cosmo and Wanda so it shouldn't be any different that he'll put notes on everything related to the rest of the Nicktoons

But what if he also writes everything that happened in a diary and kept it hidden in a box filled with things related to his Godfamily and the Nicktoons?

Timmy already turned 18 and the next day after his birthday, the first thing he saw when he woke up is an empty fish tank still filled with water. Timmy got super confused because why is there a fish tank here? Why does it have water when there's literally no fish inside? Then he saw the sticky note and went oh ok I guest I shouldn't throw it out then.

Throughout the day, he keeps seeing sticky notes with his hand writing on it saying "Don't throw it out me! -Timmy Turner". Timmy doesn't know the purpose of all the things because he only does this when it's actually important so he doesn't understand why there's a sticky note with the same message pinned on his old hat.

When he, Chester, and AJ hangout, they'd sometimes ask him about the things he forgotten and Timmy is just confused. His reaction are just "What?" "Since when did that happen?" "Talking to objects? Did you hit your head or something cause wtf" Chester and AJ had to suffer but didn't dive too deep into it.

That until Chester mentioned Jimmy

Timmy isn't the type to forget people that he's close and actually liked him. So when Timmy said he doesn't know who Jimmy is it caused a havoc. Chester made cards filled with things related to their childhood while AJ interogated the poor brunet's head off just to get answers so he could somehow cure his bestfriend's amnesia.

This went for Gods' know how long it just keeps going.

But hey the Nicktoons fianlly visited hoorayyyy

They didn't encounter Timmy first though, they encountered Chester and AJ. They both felt like their dreaming but soon dragged them into their shared appartment with Timmy because wtf their bestfriend's bestfriends who doesn't even know they're his bestfriends from different universes are here and oh are they glad.

Before the Nicktoons could even say something, AJ and Chester already bombered them with concerns relating to Timmy while the three are all just there sitting on a small couch and saying literally the same things as if they were one person.

Where's Timmy? What happened to his Fairy programs? What do you mean he has amnesia? He doesn't remember us? What the fuck does this mean? Is this related to the Fairy World's rules?

They were all distraught. Spongebob who's no longer in disguise is sobbing. Danny is in denial. He sees him as his kid brother and said kid brother sees him as his big brother there's no way he could've forgotten him right? He denise it, there's no way.

And Jimmy is fucking depressed. After a long time of trying to find a way to go to Timmy's universe, the first thing that was said to him was that Timmy forgot about them.

Jimmy was mad. He wasn't mad at Timmy for getting his memories erased, he was mad that he didn't do anything to prevent it. He was mad at himself. But he knew damn well that there's no way of stopping Da Rules and the rest of the Laws of the Fairy World.

Meanwhile with Timmy, he sneezed as he's currently going back to his old house to get the rest of his old stuff. Then he went to the attic and saw some weird big old box with his name written on it. The box was filled with notebooks, diaries and pictures.

Timmy was utterly bamboozled

He skimmed through some of the pages. Fairies? Ghost brother figure? A talking sponge? And he's hooked? Timmy doesn't even know anymore. Then he took the photos inside the box.

What the fuck.

Why is there a sponge? It's alive? Why is there a floating guy behind him? Who's he brunet with a weird hair style?

And why do these strangers feel so familiar?

The more he dives deep into it, the more his head hurts. Timmy decided to brush it off temporarily and took the box with him. He'll get his stuff next time.

ANYWAY the rest is up to you guys on how you want it to end I'm out of energy to write the rest ksksakjssfhasksf

[radioiaci]

@ducktastic-dad ⧐ the devil has taken it upon himself ( as he far too often does ) to interrupt alastor's leisure time. while the man he's sharing a chair with is content with reading a book, lucifer is fiddling with the apps on his phone. 99+ emails ? no, he won't be opening that. but there is only so much screen time he can handle, thankfully, limited by his knowledge of how to use this silly little picture box. gaze wanders from the phone to look at alastor, subtle at first but not for long. that had better be a damn good book to not be giving him even an ounce of attention. with a shrug of the shoulders, “ it's kinda bizarre that i've never asked this, but ━ can i get your number ? . . . do you even have a phone ? ” UNPROMPTED ASKS.

To have the other squeezed into that chair with him is enough of a slight interruption to his silent reading time, having procured a new novel that is a bit beyond his era, but no less interesting. The title reads, in its rather macabre looking decorative font: The Bride Wore Black. And it is enough of a page-turner that Alastor is not paying much heed to the Devil nearest to his shoulder, so to speak.

At least not until he feels that pointed gaze on him, one ear giving a flick of acknowledgement as the other speaks. Alastor has to make an effort to not skip over any important details as he responds, not glancing up from the page.

"I have a landline, but it is disconnected."

Why he has it at all is anyone's question. A refugee antique from his old home on the outskirts of the Doomsday district, perhaps.

"Why do you need the number? You can just walk over and speak to me any time." It seems rather pointless to bother with the thing, in his opinion.

[firstchaplainerebus]

The End and the Death Review

What even is there to say about it. It’s over. It has been magnificent.

Looking back on the Horus Heresy back when I started reading it, I can’t believe that this is where we ended up, with such an absolutely beautiful landing.

Whether you like, love or hate these books, they are an achievement without precedent. This kind of narrative, on this scale, with this word count, that amount of different authors, that vision… The fact that it was ever completed is in itself amazing.

The fact that not only it was completed, but in a way that stays true and respectful to existing lore while putting its own spin on it and remaining relevant to its mission statement 18 years ago(!!!!) is nothing short of miraculous.

This final book, written in its dizzying, inspiring present tense opens and closes with effortless grace. Dan Abnett nails the stakes of it all home, he draws the parallels, he twists the knife, again and then again, and again. He explores every urge and emotion, from heroic, to insane, to pathetic, to simply thirsting for life, to bloodthirsty, to nonchalant… Everyone is their best and worst selves simultaneously, every card that must be played is played.

From the desperate end of the siege, to the journey into the Vengeful Spirit, to the duel with Sanguinius and the final confrontation with the Emperor, the book is a constant nail biter and page turner. The stakes are simply too high to put the damn thing down.

There are plenty of Dan Abnettisms throughout, with wild concepts and lore additions (and callbacks to incredibly obscure tidbits of lore) being thrown at the reader consistently and without pause. I have no doubt I will forget most of this book until I have to read it again, and then I will be just as surprised as last time. This is not a bad thing. In an IP where the fandom is so religiously adherent to its version of the lore and characters, a good slap on the face to remind the fan base just who came up with all this crap in the first place is always welcome.

All in all, there is little to say to recommend this book, as its enjoyment hinges on reading upwards of 50 more of them. But what a journey, and what a relief it is, that all these endless hours and days of reading, re-reading, thinking and walking forlornly around town considering the plight of the Emperor and his sons ends as it was promised, with inglorious, raw tragedy, a testament of human folly and defiance both, and for a select few, just a little bit of comedy. The gods laugh, but Terra stands. And there is no way to adequately describe the Horus Heresy’s impact.

You just had to have been there, when Horus slew the Emperor.

[bronx-bomber87]

Good morning all and Happy Saturday we are onto episode 4 of S2.

2x04 Warriors and Guardians

If you need further proof these two are married long before they were dating it's this is ep. S2 is chock full of growth and goodies galore. I love it sfm. Also this episode is the intro of Nyla Harper. Who I absolutely adore. Tim and and Lucy are my top favs obviously. But she is right behind them in terms of characters I love to death. So excited for her to finally have joined this series rewatch. Off we go.

We start off with them talking to Rachel. Lucy hugs her and says happy birthday. Tim clearly has no idea it’s her bday and is feeling slightly out place in the convo. Rachel commends Lucy on her choice of gift. It’s a book 'Aeronautics Through The Ages.' Tim is a little shit and says it sounds like a real page turner. The sassy look Lucy gives him. I wish there was a gif of it haha Tim realizes quickly after Rachel's grandfather did the illustrations for it. That the gift Lucy gave was actually quite meaningful and sweet. Eating his words quickly after….

Tim is clearly feeling slightly awkward he didn't know it was her b-day. That coupled with watching the exchange between Lucy and Rachel. I think Rachel can sense this and asks if they’re still on for Friday. Tim does that lovely smile of his and says yes. Tim spots right away Lucy wants to say something after Rachel has left. He cuts her off at the pass LOL She has the pre-excited going to tell you something face haha Tim doesn't let it get far and squashes said excitement before roll call.

We rejoin our amazing duo in their shop. Lucy doesn't waste a second before starting in on the topic Tim cut off earlier. Rachel’s bday gift from him. Completely disregarding his grumpy behavior from before. Lucy tells him not to worry he’s riding with the world's best gift giver. She asks him what he’s thinking about getting her? Tim tells her nothing. Lucy is in instant judging mode. Tim goes on to say it’s only been two weeks. That it would be weird to get her something. Lucy then re-frames her question to him. ‘So, you just wish her happy birthday, and now you’re done?’ He’s so confident at first with his yep. It's quickly demolished by Lucy's loaded 'Okay....'

Tim looks over at her and see’s her facial expression. It's so damn telling. He knows he’s in trouble with his answer. Lucy's face says it all. I'm dying haha What I love so very much about this scene is that silent communication on Lucy’s end. Tim knows her so well all he has to do is look over and know he'll be in the dog house if he does nothing. Her face is saying 'It's your funeral...'

Literally all Lucy has to do is say ‘Okay’ and her body language and expression does the rest of the work. He questions his choice because of this. Tim then breaks and says he could get her something small…Lucy’s face in the final gif is perfection. She has won the first part of this battle and knows it. She is happy he has seen the light. Her face is basically saying 'There we go...' haha Look at him listening to his wifey's advice. Didn’t even fight her that much on it. So proud of him. Look at this glow up haha

They respond to their first call at a hospital. Tim is pitching Lucy gift ideas. Ironically he strikes out with his first idea. A baseball game. Having Chenford being canon now all his ideas would sit just fine with Lucy. He has no idea he is trying to give Rachel, Lucy gifts LOL Their convo gets interrupted by their call. Two social media wannabes stormed into this poor sick kids room and started posing with him.

They get arrested for trespassing and photographing a minor without a parents consent. Then the cutest thing ever happens. The kid comes out and asks for a pic with Tim and Lucy. They happily pose with him. I’m diabetic at how sweet this is. Look how happy they are to do it. Also you know their arms are touching behind that pillow. It’s the little things hehe.

Back at the station they’re booking their insta wanna be’s. Tim is trying once again to seek Lucy's approval on his next gift idea. I adore the fact that he is not only reaching out her opinion but relying on it heavily. He knows she’s going to be honest with him about them. Another foundation is being put in place here. He values her opinion and is letting her know that whether he realizes it or not. Also shall we talk about the fact there is little to no personal space between them in these shots? A theme I constantly love . One I have to remark on cause it's so obvious how they are always so drawn to each other. They don't even know they're doing it.

The fact they’re having a convo about a shooting range kills me. He literally went to paintball with Lucy haha Their banter in this scene is fantastic. Tim poorly defends his idea saying he sees couples all the time at the shooting range. No love you don't, you and Lucy are the couple that would do that and you would see. Not Rachel….

Lucy shoots down the shooting range idea instantly. No regrets on her part. Lucy isn't pulling any punches with him. She is right when she says once again he isn’t picking it for her. It truly is a terrible idea for Rachel. The sass she gives him. 'All the time?' He can't even fight her on it and knows it's a losing idea. He is so cute in his defeat though. Strike 2 for Tim.

Lucy gets a call from Nolan and Tim's interest is piqued. He tells her to answer it. Lucy does but not before she calls him out for why he wants her to. Tim clearly isn’t a fan of Harper's and wants more intel on her. Lucy makes sure to note this before answering haha The best part of this stage of their development is the two way sass. It’s not just Lucy lobbing sass grenades. Tim has his own pile now and is chucking them right back at her. It’s glorious. Brought out his playful/sassy side and it's here to stay.

Nolan asks them if it’s worse to disobey a direct order from your T.O. or to stand by and watch them get killed? Lucy looks Tim in the eyes and says depends on the TO....The Heart Eyes Lucy look at your heart eyes madam. Directed right at him this time. But she doesn't know why she's so invested in him and his love life....So very transparent and I’m not mad at it haha Clearly neither is Tim. He advises Nolan best he can about his situation before he hangs up.

Tim and Lucy are on the perimeter of a stakeout and back to the topic of the day. Tim is irritated because Lucy has shot down every single idea he has had. Lucy reiterates he is picking gifts he would like. (Or the woman sitting to your right would…) Tim once again tries to defend his choices. Saying it's not just guy stuff that Isabel loved doing this kind of stuff for gifts with him.

Let’s take a second to be proud of Tim. A moment of growth is happening here. I want to note and appreciate it. He brought Isabel up. It wasn’t even in a moment of sadness or anger. Lucy replies about her with her own opinion saying Rachel has different interests than she did. Biggest part of this is Tim concedes to her point. No rage or saltiness. Just agreement. He’s come so far. We may now dive back into the scene. This mini rant was sponsored by the ‘I’ll never stop being proud of Tim and his growth’ foundation heh.

Tim FINALLY comes to the conclusion he had been fighting all damn day. Lucy is right and he is wrong LMAO That his ideas aren’t working and he should just listen to her. Lucy knows what she is talking about and should just take her ideas for a gift. Lucy is so cute with her smile and reply and tells him basically haha You know she's thinking what took you so long? This woman been schooling Tim in ‘Lucy Lessons’ long before she coined that in S5.

Just listen to your wife Tim. She’s always right and you benefit from that. Her cute smile in that last gif is the best. She’s won another battle with Tim and knows it. He does too written all over his face. So annoyed she is in the right on this one and he can’t fight it not even a little. Happy wife happy life Timothy hehe. Lucy has his number and there is nothing he can do about it. He tries so hard to push back and not let her further into his life and she continues to creep in. To create more cracks in his armor and slowly destroy that wall of his.

This action shop is epic. Love Chenford coming in like complete BAMF'S to bail out Harper and Nolan. They don't miss a beat before they join them in the fight. I always love watching them in the field together. So in sync. Makes me happy to watch them in action. Such a power couple.

Grey has Harper apologize to John in front of Tim and Lucy. Its for putting him in danger for her own gain. He naturally takes it too far. Makes a meal out of it cause Harper can't stop him. He thinks a lot of himself afterwards till he turns around and sees Tim’s face lmao. The face he’s making in the pic below. The amount of judgement I’m dying. Eric you are a treasure. He tells Nolan ‘You always have to push it….’ So damn funny. Lucy is smiling and trying not to laugh as she follows Tim out. He can’t even with Nolan most of the time and it always cracks me up.

Tim follows Lucy’s advice with Rachel’s gift. He is pretty darn cute when he gives her his gift all poorly wrapped. It is nice to see him excited about someone. After all the drudgery of Isabel Tim deserves this. He deserves the world IMO. But I just love this man to pieces so. He got her a very specific plane for them to build on their date Friday. It’s adorable and Lucy crushed it. Tim knows now going forward how important Lucy's opinion is to him and for him. This is proof of that. I said last review his scenes with Rachel had purpose. This is just another facet of that. This situation proving him to how valuable that opinion is ❤️

~~~~

Side notes -non chenford. Now that Nyla has arrived this will get a little beefier. Her intro is epic af. The way she tricks Nolan and finds out he’s a guardian and not a warrior. It’s so funny how badly Nolan bombs his first impression with her.

What I love so much about Nyla is she takes zero crap from Tim. Not even for a second it’s hilarious. She schools him a little too. Her finishing line of their first scene 'Don't get your panties in a twist handsome, not say you're not tough. Just saying you're not me.' Look at Angela's face after she says that LMFAO She knows he just got put in his place. Tim is none too pleased. He doesn’t like how she rubs him the wrong way. Also with her character arc she’s basically the female version of Tim and I love it.

She’s so abrasive in the beginning (just like Tim was….) they gotta be or you wouldn’t see the astounding difference when they grow. Angela is enjoying her cause she gives Tim a hard time it’s so funny. Ever the best friend with him with him when she says 'She loves her' when Nyla walks away hahaha

I do love watching the bond develop between Nyla and John it’s fun to watch. And we get insight into why Harper with her Golden ticket took a position of TO. Her daughter. And so her SL begins and I love it sfm. As always thanks to all of you who like/comment and reblog these reviews. You make my whole day every time it happens. I shall see you all in 2x05 :)

[tenrose]

I just finished Behind her eyes, and I read the plot twist and it's fucked up. Except there's another chapter left. And damn another plot twist and omg that shit really is fucked up.

[the1975attheirverybest]

hes just being messy, he was with meredith in la last wednesday and then now is like very public with gab. i actually feel pretty bad for meredith, the unfollow makes me think she thought they were more serious than they were. i dont think dating casually is a crime but all parties should at least be on the same page 😕 (no need to post this just telling you)

I’m very confused by all this and I guess y’all really don’t understand boundaries, respect, or consent. But since I’ve deleted just about 40 asks about this in the past 48 hours or so, fine. I guess we are talking about this. (Not directed at you alone or anything just my general feelings on the subject and on the fandom.) you wanna talk about Matty’s love life? Let’s talk about it.

Matty is 34 years old. Which means he’s well above the legal age of consent and, yeah, god help him, as a cis straight man, he do be acting like an absolute child sometimes, BUT it’s his life. His decisions to make.

From everything that we know about him, and especially after the ENTIRE FUCKIN WORLD turned against him over the summer, he is a lot more kind, compassionate, smart, self-aware, gentle, and pure-hearted than anyone’s ever given him credit for. Even his own fans. Say what you will about Matty Healy, but if it were me, in his shoes, I’d feel more than entitled to be Turner bitter towards the public what with the way we all (yes, we, as his fans too) have been treating him. But NOPE. Matty is a way bigger person than most of us. He didn’t say a damn thing. He kept his mouth shut and his head down and he did what he needed to do, he never let any of it deter him from being vulnerable and honest with us and putting on the best fuckin show that he could possible put on every fuckin night.

If that doesn’t earn him the benefit of the doubt then I don’t know what will.

I’m not sure why or when some of us have decided that it is our place to observe what goes on in his love life, to monitor his following/followers lists, to draw conclusions based on those numbers, or to consume public glimpses of his interior life as if it’s some tv show or movie or reality tv, even when those images are taken without his consent, and decide Meredith is not “marriage material” or Gabriette has “an aesthetic that I can finally get behind” (which, by the way, is a very sexist and disgusting thing to say about them as well as Matty, but I guess this fandom is hypocritical and will turn against its own values as soon as Matty Healy’s dick is involved), but at some point apparently that happened and we started to treat him as less than human.

Fine, fine, I’ll even give you that much. Be sexist. Be judgmental and creepy and all up his ass. But to do all that and then “feel sorry for Meredith” call him a “mess”??? When you LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM?!!!!! How do know she thought it was more serious than it is??? Were you there??? Since we’re making judgements and assumptions based on the tiny fragments that we see, I’m gonna go ahead and make a judgment of my own and say since I didn’t see you in the middle holding one of his hands and one of hers, then you weren’t there. So why do you feel qualified to talk about what he may or may not have done??? Do you know him? Is he your bestie???? Did he confide in you??? Hmm? Fuckin tell me!!!!

To summarize: he’s a form of entertainment to you. You don’t care about his boundaries. And you have such a low opinion of him that (despite him proving in what is objectively one of the worst things to happen to a public figure, that he’s endlessly graceful and kind) you will comfortably assume the worst of him without A SHRED OF ANYTHING REMOTELY RESEMBLING EVIDENCE. So….why are you a fan? Hmm? Why do you feel comfortable supporting someone you think so little or and have no respect for as a human being?

If any of you really think “he deserve love” and “he deserves companionship.” Then you’d shut the fuck up, stop engaging with content that commodities and dehumanizes him, and mind your fuckin business for fucks sakes.

I mean, how would you like it if, based on a 7 second story on Instagram, or a tweet you made about your personal life or whatever, I (somehow who knows absolutely nothing about you) came up to you and was like “omg I noticed so and so has unfollowed you. Then two days later you posted a pic with this other person. You must have really crushed someone’s heart and led them on making them believe you were more serious than you actually were. And now you’re using this other person who appeared in a picture with you. That is concerning behavior my friend.” If you’re okay with me doing that to you then you and I must live wildly different realities.

[thorn-rosed]

"This is as far as I could get, he jabbed a needle in my neck, erasing all the evidence, but there were matchsticks in my pants. And if a rock should hit my head, and I'll remember what he did, you'll be the very first to know, maybe I'll find out why this damn thing wont stop bleeding!"

- from: "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner" by The Dresden Dolls

[denouemente]

it had been ages since he’s been able to just slip away and tuck into a nice book — part of him was half - terrified to, considering the last time he did this was before his ‘ father ’ put that damned collar around his neck. the title is something simple, scrawled in golden text across the spine: the princess and the knight. something aelin would definitely tease him for, and just a year ago he might have been upset over it but now he smiles fondly at the memory of his friend.

hours pass and he’s sitting in a very unkingly position, legs draped over the armrest of the chair while his balled fist rests against his cheek. he turns the page, ready to start the last chapter of the book, but a voice distracts him. you just look . . . you always look good, but right now it’s.  wow. dorian glances up from the book, cheek still squished by his fist and lips parted slightly — as if he forgot he was a king for a moment — and starts to grin as he sees @riderheart. “ you think so? ” he asks, turning to look back at his book again. “ don’t think i’ve ever heard anyone say that about me while i’m like this. it’s usually, oh, your highness, that coat is divine. oh, your highness, your shirt brings out your blue eyes. ” he’d heard similarly in the clothing he wears now, but he’s deemed it inappropriate to share at the present. being king did wonders for his restraint. “ heard of this one? ” he closes the book around his finger and flashes her the cover. “ thought it was gonna be cheesy. turns out it’s quite the page turner. ”

[theriverpointace]

sooooo. i listened to MAG 4 (page turner) again with my brother. and i can't stop thinking about dominic swain a little bit. no, i have no idea why i can’t stop thinking about the man whose, to my mind, defining character trait is that he blames himself for something that happened when he was a stupid kid, was out of his control, and certainly wasn’t his fault. this has nothing to do with me, my history, or my problems. I Just Think He’s Neat. (spoiler: that is a lie. i am projecting onto him a little bit bc i also can't stop thinking about my terrible middle-school ex 👍🏻)

and then i was scrolling through some of the future episodes to see if there are any that are gonna skip automatically bc they're explicit and i'm still logged in as a minor. i was mostly just counting, not really looking at the titles, but one caught my eye: MAG 46, "literary heights." i was like "hey that sounds like MAG 4, doesn't it? a book that gives you vertigo." so i looked the episode up and whose name do i see but michael crew? i peeked at all the dates again bc i tend to miss them, and 46 is from nearly twenty years before 4, iirc, so i was intrigued.

so i listened to MAG 46. (my brother and i just listened to MAG 5 this morning. i've heard thru MAG 7. idk if i'll listen ahead without him or not. idek if he'll want to keep listening tbh. plus i'm moving out for college in less than a month, so ... we'll see where it goes lol.)

anyways i just listened to the statement bit, i heard something about tunnels and spiderwebs and jonathan was like "i'm gonna set up a camera" and i was like "dude do you really think that'll work???" bc he seems to not be having much luck with tech in the archives. anyway. it ends with michael yelling at the lightning guy (???) and hurling himself off a building but ofc that didn't actually happen, all is well, sealed windows, no body, nothing to see here, and the bookseller goes home. statement ends. and jonathan's doing his lil wrap-up and then he points out that the bookseller didn't talk about the one woodcut that haunted dominic so badly: the empty night sky and the lichtenberg figure. and then he's talking about tunnels and cameras and i turned it off and i stared at my phone and i was like. "jonathan. are you suggesting that the book ate michael? DID THE BOOK EAT MICHAEL???"

so i did a bit more poking around where i probably oughtn't have. found out michael's an avatar of the vast, but not really what that means. the book did not eat michael although i still find that to be an extremely funny response. and that michael comes in to give a statement later, scaring the living daylights out of jonathan lol. i keep thinking about the "cover art" i found on the wiki page (by @.gammija here on tumblr, according to the caption!), it's so cool. i love the contrast between jonathan's gray hair and old-person glasses chain (affectionate) with his more youthful-looking sweatshirt. i also like the way he's holding the chair going "what the hell what the hell what the hell????" also the colors are very nice.

anywayssss MAG 4 might be my favorite episode so far, just because it's so damn intriguing! between dominic swain, who is one of my favorite statement-givers so far for several reasons; and the introduction of the leitner books—i know enough to know they're relevant but not enough to know what the deal is there; the introduction of michael crew, who seems interesting; the introduction of gerard keay!! who i've seen on my dash—again, idk what his deal is yet but ik he's relevant (particularly for the magnus protocol, right? that's when i really started seeing him, i think); there is enough started in this episode to keep me on the edge of my seat at least through the first season.

[schooloftuneage]

SCHOOL OF TUNEAGE: LESSON ONE. IN THE BEGINNING...

CLASS IS IN SESSION.

Good evening, my fellow freaks, fillies, and other assorted friends. I'm your deejay for the evening, Zee, and I'll be starting out this blog, this course, and this whole damn mission with a statement that some would consider to be moderately controversial.

Rock music is innately Black music.

Now, yes, we've had our share of crackers in the biz (myself included) but the FOUNDATIONS OF ROCK MUSIC, AND THE SONGS THAT MADE ROCK MUSIC WHAT IT IS, are primarily from Black artists.

Don't believe me? Let's delve in.

Early Rock and Roll was, at its core, a danceable, high-octane (for the time) fusion of Rhythm and Blues and Country. Now, I don't have to tell you how very Black-dominated R&B was, even at the time.

Consider this: Jimmy Preston's "Rock The Joint", from 1949.

Or, from 1946, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right".

BUT rock `n roll got passed off to the public vis-a-vis an acceptable, lilly-white proxy… Elvis Presley. Consider this, his seminal hit, 'You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog'.

Now, do you want to see something really awesome?

Elvis' version was a cover. A cover that he (and the recording industry) tried to pretend wasn't a cover.

Here's our first track of the week… the original.

That's BIG MAMA THORNTON, blues singer, the woman responsible for the trope codifier for rock `n roll… and, you will note, a woman singing quite a different song from Elvis' version. Big Mama's was a song of Black female empowerment, a song about telling a freeloading gigolo to hit the road, while Elvis' was sanitized into almost a Kidz Bop version. Hell, he sanitized it MORE than Kidz Bop sanitized "Lips of an Angel" (and more on THAT debacle another day).

And this was far from the only offense in Presley's resume.

Otis Blackwell was a prolific songwriter who originally sang many, many early rock songs. These included Jerry Lee Lewis' 'Great Balls of Fire', as well as Elvis' 'All Shook Up', 'Don't Be Cruel', and 'Return to Sender'. And these last three are probably the most damning indictment of the whitewashing of rock `n roll. Why?

That's why. Give that a close listen.

Elvis seemed to take his entire way of singing - his delivery, his inflection, everything - from Otis Blackwell. As you can see from Otis' album title there, "These are my songs!", he was at least able to attempt to claw back some recognition in later years, but - in the opinion of this berk - it was definitely a case of too little, too late.

We know now. History is damn clear on the topic. But for years, the industry hid behind the Great White Hype of Elvis, pretended he was an innovator instead of a repackager, and shut out the real innovators from their rightful recognition.

Perhaps it is ironic that in years to come - particularly in the late sixties and seventies - there would be a rising 'damn the man' rebellion baked into rock and roll. Or perhaps it would just be karma, ensuring that the sanitization of an inherently rebellious music made by an oppressed people would still carry their spirit.

For tonight, I leave you with another early rock track - what some people say is the first real rock song. Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm - Rocket 88.

Class dismissed.

And now we go to open conversation - we've got a survey out right now, check down the page. If you fill it out, I'll have a better idea of what topics everyone wants to cover. And of course, if you want to keep talking about what I covered above... please do.